Glittery costumes, heart-shaped glasses and nails in the colors of her albums: Taylor Swift fans will meet Thursday evening in Paris, before Zurich, Lyon, Milan or Munich, for the launch of the mega-star’s tour on the Old continent.
At the foot of Paris La Défense Arena, the most diligent have been camping for several days in around twenty tents.
“It wasn’t planned but I came to scout and, when I saw the first tents, I panicked a little,” says Frenchwoman Chris, 30, met by AFP on Wednesday afternoon. . “As we paid a certain price for the place (175 francs on average, depending on the concert hall), we don’t want to be in a bad place. And the weather also allows it.”
Other fans arrived in a continuous stream to collect the book intended for VIP seat holders or to buy souvenirs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles or bracelets.
Aware of the public’s impatience and its appetite for derivative products after attending Taylor Swift’s Japanese shows, Paris La Défense Arena will open its doors from 3:30 p.m. for VIPs and has doubled its points of sale, the company said. AFP Bathilde Lorenzetti, vice-president of the speaker. The concert starts at 8:00 p.m.
“Echo to our experience”
In the queues, young adults rub shoulders with fifty-something couples and children with their parents. Some exchange “friendship bracelets” made by themselves, a custom during this tour.
Languages mix, with 30% non-French, including 20% Americans, among the 42,000 spectators of each of the four concerts scheduled in Paris until Sunday, according to figures communicated by the venue. The American Kelly Shrout, 40, and around ten of her university friends made the trip and will also visit Versailles and Disneyland Paris.
The common point of this crowd: having been touched by the texts of an artist who has been singing about her joys and sorrows for 17 years.
“We know her biggest hits which are super ‘catchy’ (catchy, Editor’s note), very pop. But, when we look deeper into her discography, there are pieces on which she opens up. Taylor Swift talks about toxic relationships, impossible love, politics, mental health, etc. I think we can all find a song that resonates with our experiences,” says Chris.
The sixth tour of the Personality of the Year 2023, according to Time magazine, began in March of the same year in the United States. Called “The Eras Tour”, at the end of last year it became the first in history to sell more than a billion dollars in tickets. This figure is expected to more than double by the time it expires in Canada in December.
New album
The precise 03:20 show, which the singer took across the Americas, Asia and Australia, retraced until then the ten albums (since “Taylor Swift” in 2006) which propelled her to a rising star of country American to the biggest international pop star, with 110 million monthly listeners on Spotify (compared to 70 for Beyoncé or Dua Lipa).
In mid-April, the 34-year-old singer released her 11th opus. Sold 1.4 million copies on the first day, “The Tortured Poets Department” became the most listened to upon its launch on the music streaming platform, with a billion streams in five days. This despite mixed reviews, with British music magazine NME calling it a “rare misstep”.
“Perhaps she will include this new album?” asks Noah, a 20-year-old Frenchman. Images of rehearsals posted online by the artist to more than 500 million subscribers on all social networks gave a glimpse of new paintings.
After registering with his friends “22 different emails” to obtain places, Noah will attend the four Parisian evenings. Chris had reserved a meeting room with colleagues to watch for the precious sesames. She will attend several European concerts.
Taylor Swift, former America’s Little Bride who took a stand against Trumpism in 2018, is set to visit Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Lyon, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Zurich (July 9 and 10), in Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria. Each time with a notable impact expected on the local economy.
This article was automatically published. Sources: ats / afp
